


hot & cold

by inlovewiththeirlove (fieldofdiabolicalbutlovelykillers)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, a rarepair so rare you wondered why I wrote it, lots of jam talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-29 01:21:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15061958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fieldofdiabolicalbutlovelykillers/pseuds/inlovewiththeirlove
Summary: Tater was tired of dealing with his broken leg but Bitty's aunt just might have what it takes to cure him.





	hot & cold

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know either

“Come on, Mama you have to know of something that’ll help.” Bitty was well near whining now.

“Darling you know as much as I call my recipes magic, they can’t magically heal a broken leg. Can’t even heal a broken heart.” 

“But Ma, he’s been here two weeks already and I know he’s in pain but I want some space. He’s hanging all over Jack like those puck bunnies do.”

“Bitty, you should trust Jack and darling, oh, I can’t believe I’m saying this because Judy is usually about as helpful as a horse in a hospital but Judy might have a recipe for recovery.”

Bitty almost gasped. This was never a thing that he expected out of his mother’s mouth. The rivalry between Judy and Suzanne had existed for as far back as Bitty could remember but he did love his aunt. 

When he was a kid, his aunt would watch musicals with him on a crappy old VCR while his mom was usually too busy for that. She bought him DVD’s of shows that had become part of the way he saw the world.

He wondered if his mom ever blamed her for Bitty turning out gay. She’d never say that, the Bittles weren’t like that but there were subtle looks and innocent comments that said more.

Bitty rung Judy after that and caught her up on the situation.

She laughed. “Doll, do you think sugar can cure medical problems?”

“If not cure, it can make them heal faster. Aunt Judy, you and I both know that food is powerful and I really want my boyfriend to myself.”

“Huh, well, there is an apricot jam my grandmother used to make. Let me find the recipe, but I’m telling you now, I’m not sure this’ll work.”

“Anything is better than that lug of an man all over Jack without letting me have a minute alone.”

“I mean, honey, it’s not a bad problem to have. I certainly wouldn’t complain if I had a hunk of an NHL star on my couch.”

“So it didn’t work with Daniel?”

“Handling a real woman ain’t for everyone Bits.” 

Bitty hummed in response. They then said goodbye and he hung up. Apricot. He sure hoped the recipe worked.

It was a few days later when Bitty brought the jam to Tater who was lying on the couch. 

“Here try it with some shortbread cookies I whipped up.”

Tater ate almost an entire plate.

“I’ve gotta say B. You’ve outdone yourself. This is delicious.”

Bitty smiled. He might be annoyed at Tater but he was still his friend. 

“Hey get some sleep okay.”

“And it doesn’t hurt?” Jack asked.

“Nope. I don’t know what happened.”

“What’s going on?” Bitty said.

“I don’t know what miracle happened but Tater can walk, eh?”

“What?”

“Yeah. Watch,” Tater said as he moved his leg around.

“Ohmygoditworked.”

“What?”

“I asked my aunt if she knew of any recipes to help you heal faster cause you know I couldn’t see you in pain,” Bitty was lying through his teeth but white lies made the world go around, “She gave me the recipe for that jam you had yesterday. I didn’t think it would actually work.” 

“I have to thank her, oh my god. I kept dreaming my hockey career was over. Can you give me her number, I want to thank her.”

“Uh… I’m sure it’s fine. I’m just glad you’re back on your feet.”

“B. My mother would kill me if I didn’t properly thank her. What does she like? Should I buy her something? But that’s not personal. Should I bring her some flowers? What does she like?”

“Tater! She lives in Georgia. I’ll just pass on your thanks.”

“I don’t want to be rude, I think I should visit. This is a big deal for me B.”

“I mean it is the off-season and we could go with you?” Jack asked.

“No, it’s fine. You two are busy, I’ll go myself.”

Bitty wasn’t sure what was going on then but Tater was packing, booking plane tickets and that afternoon he took an Uber to the airport. Bitty had called his mother to tell her but he still was unsure about telling Judy, Tater had wanted to surprise her but he still thought it was better if she knew.

He ended up doing and after an excited chat with Aunt Judy, Bitty went and collapsed into Jack’s arms. 

…..

истощение

Exhaustion. 

That’s all Tater’s body had felt like for the past week. The pain seemed to rest deep in each bone of his body. He had almost yelled at the doctor, if only one was broken why did he feel like he had been run over everywhere, multiple times.

The doctor had some bullshit about his body adapting that Tater half listened to but currently he felt invigorated.

His grandmother used to make him Solyanka, to warm him up during the winter and she always said that warm food made with love, could fix everything. 

Judy had proven that to be true. 

A few hours later standing at her doorstep, he wondered whether he should be nervous. Most people would be, but Tater was always ready for anything. He knocked.

A woman who had the same light hair as Bitty opened the door. She looked warm and Tater noticed the way her brown eyes twinkled.

“Hello, I’m Alexi. Bitty’s friend. This is going to sound crazy but-”

“Oh, I know who you are. I have to say Bitty getting me into hockey was amazing. You’re a wonderful player to watch, Mr. Mashkov.” 

“You knew I was coming?”

“Yeah, Bitty didn’t want me to be caught off-guard.” 

Tater entered the house which smelled like sugar with a hint of lemon.  
“Oh no please call me Alexi, I came here to thank you, honestly I owe you a lot.” 

“Darling you owe me nothing, have a cup of tea with me if you really want to thank me.”

“I have a gift for you, Keemun tea, it reminds me of home. Though I’ve seen the way Bitty eats, you might need a kilo of sugar to get it down.” Tater grinned at Judy. 

“Yes, that boy does have a sweet tooth. Let me get you some jam to go with that.” 

“I thought that was a Russian thing.” 

“Well, the Russians do know how to appreciate the finer things in life. You want some sponge cake with your tea? Or a biscuit?”

“I’m okay with just the tea.”

Ten minutes later, tea hot and piping and biscuits waiting to be devoured, Judy said, “So Alexi, tell me is it true you had to run away to play hockey?”

“I don’t want to bore you with that.”

“I doubt that is a boring story Mr. Mashkov and I promise I will interrupt you if I start falling asleep. Now go.” And so Tater did. He told her stories of his childhood, playing hockey with his dad and uncle and how much that shaped him. 

She surprised him then and asked, “Is he who put the drive in you?”

“What?” Tater didn’t really understand what she meant.

“Darling every time a parent discovers that their kid has talent, they turn into goddamn Simon Cowell, trying to make their kid into a star. My parents thought my sister was pretty and boy did they have a field day with that one. They put her in pageants, competitions you name it.”

The realization dawns over Alexi.  
“Bitty’s mom was a beauty queen?”  
“Oh yes, she was Miss Georgia too. But that’s what I mean by drive, did your father do that for you?”  
“No. My father he liked rules. Stable. You know. My mother had dreams for me, she was a singer. She taught me how to dream big to take things, because nothing in life will ever be handed to you.”

Alexi felt strange, sharing so much. He had only said two things but it felt more open than he had been to anyone in a long time. Sometimes he felt himself become the hockey robot. Giving the same short responses to journalists, fans and recently even friends. 

Judy poured him another cup. And they talked, their lives were as far apart as they could be. From the cold that could settle in so deep, you wondered whether blood was even able to run through veins anymore, to the heat that cooked you as if you were a rare steak on a barbecue. 

Their conversation hit deep points but also had its levity. Sometime during their third hour, Alexi brought up learning English through daytime TV.  
They spent the next hour watching Dr. Phil and then another Judge Judy.

Towards the end of the afternoon Tater gets ready to say goodbye and promises to visit soon.

“Oh, but you don’t have to spend time with an old lady like me out of obligation, go and live your life. I’m sure you have more exciting things to do.”

“I like spending time with you. You’re a genuine person in a world where there aren’t many.”

“You too sugar, you too.”

“So it’s settled, I’ll be right here tomorrow?”

“Actually tomorrow is the farmer’s market. Do you want to experience it? Because it is an experience.” Judy smiled through the sentence.

“It’s a date.” Tater said as he left and Judy smiled wider than she had in many years.

A part of her felt like a giggling schoolgirl again as she called her sister, partly to tell her that Bitty had wonderful friends and partly to squeal about the NHL star who she had plans with. 

She felt a rush of excitement, Alexi was a star, but he was also an anchor in way most people could never be. She wasn’t sure whether the had a future but she was eager to find out.


End file.
